Planning Poker Deck
Hours
Estimate in actual hours instead of abstract points. Concrete but susceptible to anchoring and individual variance.
111222444888161616
Card values
The cards in this deck
111222444888161616242424404040???
In the room
What a live round looks like
Each player holds their card face-down until the facilitator calls the reveal. Simultaneous reveal is the safest way to get an honest estimate — nobody anchors on the first number they hear.
- Everyone picks a card — votes stay hidden until all are in.
- Cards flip simultaneously — no anchoring from early reveals.
- Outlier votes surface instantly so the team can discuss.
- Strong consensus closes the round in seconds.
Blind mode
Lock in, then reveal — no anchoring
Blind mode enforces the core principle behind any planning poker deck: independent estimation. No card is visible until the last voter locks in — then everything reveals at once.
- Voters lock their estimate before seeing anyone else's.
- The reveal fires only once every participant has locked in.
- Prevents the loudest voice from pulling the whole group.
When to use
When this deck works best
Client projects with time-and-materials billing, or teams just starting estimation who need concrete anchors.
In practice
A real estimation scenario
Agency estimating a landing page redesign for a fixed-price proposal. Hours directly map to billing.
Trade-offs
Strengths and limitations
Pros
- Easy to understand
- Maps to billing
- No translation needed
Cons
- Anchoring effect
- Doesn't account for team skill variance
- False precision
Try this deck in a real session
Free planning poker — no signup required. Your team joins from one link.